Brad Park, Hall of Fame Defenseman May 9, 1977

Before his first NHL game, New York Rangers defenseman Brad Parkwas assigned the number 2 jersey, but Park, a baby-facedwunderkind from Toronto, had no way of knowing how that numberwould come to define his career. He would finish second in theNorris Trophy voting six times and play all 17 of his NHLseasons in the shadow of a more celebrated defenseman: firstBobby Orr and later Denis Potvin. "I was always out to beatthose guys," says Park, now 51 and living with his wife, Gerry,in Lynnfield, Mass., "but I'd like to think we shared acompetitive respect for each other."

While marshaling the defenses of the Rangers, Boston Bruins andDetroit Red Wings from 1968-69 to 1984-85, the 6-foot, 200-poundPark had to contend with a pair of shredded knees that underwent15 operations. Still, he played 50 or more games in 13 of hisseasons, and every one of his teams made it to the playoffs. Hefinished with 213 goals and 683 assists, and had 125 points in161 postseason games. He also amassed 1,429 penalty minutes.

Off the ice, too, Park fought for his teammates. First, as vicepresident of the NHL Players' Association from 1971 to '83;then, in '95 as a plaintiff in a multimillion dollarclass-action suit against ex-NHLPA boss Alan Eagleson, who hadpled guilty to mail fraud, and others, on the allegation thatthey had suppressed players' salaries. (The suit was dismissedfor having been filed too late, but an appeal is pending.)Park's current involvement in hockey includes broadcasting homegames of the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters. He also helped designthe North American Superskills Academy (Internet-linked softwarethat allows youth-league players to compare their statisticsagainst a national average) and created the Hockey PipelineSystem (pipelike obstacles used in on-ice practice drills).While he served a stint behind the bench of the Red Wings in1985-86, his fondest coaching memories are of shepherding threeof his sons through Pee-Wee hockey.

Park's proudest moment (aside from seeing his five kids attendcollege and his son Rob, who has cerebral palsy, get marriedlast year) came in 1988, when he was elected to the Hall ofFame. "Hockey came to me at a very young age, like a Christmaspresent," says Park, "but induction into the Hall was the bigbow to top off the package." When enshrined in glass alongsidethe game sweaters of the other stars in Toronto, Park's number 2seems symbolic of nothing less than a first-rate player.